HomeQuotesDietrich Bonhoeffer
Literature and scripture
He who is bearing others knows that he himself is being borne, and only in this strength can he go on bearing.
Life Together, chapter 4 ("The Ministry of Bearing"), 1939
Translated by John W. Doberstein · Literature and scripture
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What this means, and why it matters to a father

Chapter 4 of Life Together treats the ministry of bearing — enduring other people's burdens, failures, and difficult realities without abandoning them. Bonhoeffer's insight is that bearing is only sustainable when the bearer himself knows he is being carried.

There is more to this one. The full context — the events behind the words, what the author was living through, and how it applies to the specific situations of fatherhood — is in the app under Deeper Understanding.

Read the full context in DadVice

Sources

Related themes

sacrificeresilience

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